Elephant Sculptures Set To Take Off For Burning Man Stolen
OAKLAND (CBS) – Two elephant sculptures have been stolen out of the Bay Area just days before they were set to appear at Burning Man.
The fiberglass sculptures paid homage to Spanish artist Salvador Dali and took about 10 months to make.
Jack Champion, the Oakland artist who made them, says a man broke into his pickup and took off with the trailer that had his tools – and the elephants – inside.
He says he caught the car thief in the act and tried to stop him by hanging on to the driver's side door.
"As an act of desperation I grabbed onto it," Champion said. "It was probably kind of foolish, because I'm kind of damaged and beat up and can't walk right now."
Champion says he hung on for two blocks and is now too injured to make it to Burning Man this year.
Though he believes the elephants may be discarded in pieces, Champion hopes someone will locate them to help him get a resolution to the crime.
